This invention relates to a waterproof connector, and more particularly to a waterproof connector and a method of inserting terminals in the waterproof connector, in which the efficiency of an operation for mounting the terminals in a connector housing is enhanced.
One known waterproof connector of this type is disclosed in JP-A-11-354196, and is shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B. As shown in FIG. 10A, the waterproof connector comprises a connector housing 101, a seal member 102 made of an elastic soft material, and a holder 103. The waterproof connector holds terminals 105 each connected to an end of a wire 104 therein. In this waterproof connector, when the holder 103 is locked to the connector housing 101, projections 103A (shown in FIG. 10B) on the holder 103 are press-fitted respectively into slit-shaped grooves 102A in the seal member 102 to expand the seal member 102 outwardly, so that the wires 104, press-fitted respectively in terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B formed through the seal member 102, are compressed at their peripheries, thereby enhancing the waterproof effect.
For mounting the terminals in this waterproof connector, first, the terminals 105 and the wires 104 are inserted into respective terminal/wire insertion holes 103A in the holder 103. Then, the terminals 105 and the wires 104 are press-fitted and passed through the respective terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B in the seal member 102 while the projections 103A of the holder 103 are not yet press-fitted in the slit-like grooves 102A in the seal member 102, respectively. Thereafter, the holder 103 is locked to the connector housing 101 through the seal member 102, and by doing so, the terminals 105 and the wires 104 can be mounted in the waterproof connector.
In the related waterproof connector shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, however, the terminals 105 and the wires 104 are passed through the respective terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B in the seal member 102, with the projections 103A of the holder 103 not yet press-fitted respectively in the slit-like grooves 102A in the seal member 102. Therefore, there has been encountered a problem that the terminals 105 and the wires 104 can not be easily inserted into the terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B when the seal member 102 is twisted or deformed. Particularly, the seal member 102 is soft, and can not be kept in its predetermined shape. Therefore, there has been encountered a problem that the ability of inserting the terminals 105 and wires 104 is adversely affected by the torsion or the like of this seal member, and the terminals 105 are liable to be caught by the seal member during the insertion, and therefore are liable to be damaged. On the other hand, in case that the projections 103A of the holder 103 are beforehand inserted respectively in the slit-like grooves 102A in the seal member 102, thereby combining the seal member 102 and the holder 103 together in a unitary manner, when trying to insert the terminals 105 and the wires 104 into the respective terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B, there is encountered a problem that the terminals 105 and the wires 104 can not be easily inserted since the terminal/wire press-fitting holes 102B are compressed into a smaller size in this condition.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a waterproof connector in which when inserting terminals in a mat seal (seal member), the mat seal is prevented from being twisted or deformed by the terminals.
Another object of the invention is to provide a terminal inserting method in which when inserting terminals in a mat seal, the terminals are prevented from being caught by the mat seal, thereby preventing the terminals from being damaged.
In order to solve the aforesaid object, the invention is characterized by having the following arrangement.
(1) A waterproof connector comprising:
a connector housing including a plurality of terminal receiving chambers for respectively receiving a plurality of metal terminals connected respectively to ends of wires;
a mat seal mounted at an end surface of the connector housing in which the wires are extended outwardly, and including a plurality of wire insertion holes for respectively passing the wires therethrough;
a mat seal holder, for holding the mat seal in cooperation with the connector housing, mounted at the end surface of the connector housing so that the mat seal is disposed between the connector housing and the mat seal holder;
a plurality of intimate-contact cavity portions formed in opposite sides of the mat seal and disposed in the vicinities of the plurality of wire insertion holes;
a plurality of housing-side intimate-contact ribs, for insertion respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions in the mat seal, formed on the end surface of the connector housing; and
a plurality of holder-side intimate-contact ribs, for insertion respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions in the mat seal, formed on the mat seal holder,
wherein when the plurality of metal terminals are inserted respectively into the plurality of terminal receiving chambers, the mat seal is supported by distal end portions of the plurality of housing-side intimate-contact ribs and distal end portions of the plurality of holder-side intimate-contact ribs inserted respectively in the plurality of intimate-contact cavity portions.
(2) The waterproof connector according to (1), wherein when the plurality of metal terminals are received in the plurality of terminal receiving chambers, the mat seal holder is moved toward the connector housing so that the plurality of housing-side intimate-contact ribs and the plurality of holder-side intimate-contact ribs are completely inserted respectively in the plurality of intimate-contact cavity portions so that the mat seal compresses the wires.
(3) A method of inserting terminals in a waterproof connector wherein the waterproof connector including: a connector housing including a plurality of terminal receiving chambers for respectively receiving a plurality of metal terminals connected respectively to ends of wires; a mat seal mounted at an end surface of the connector housing in which the wires are extended outwardly, and including a plurality of wire insertion holes for respectively passing the wires therethrough; and a mat seal holder, for holding the mat seal in cooperation with the connector housing, mounted at the end surface of the connector housing so that the mat seal is disposed between the connector housing and the mat seal holder; a plurality of intimate-contact cavity portions formed in opposite sides of the mat seal and disposed in the vicinities of the plurality of wire insertion holes; a plurality of housing-side intimate-contact ribs, for insertion respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions in the mat seal, formed on the end surface of the connector housing; and a plurality of holder-side intimate-contact ribs, for insertion respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions in the mat seal, formed on the mat seal holder, the method comprising the steps of:
inserting distal end portions of the housing-side intimate-contact ribs respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions, and inserting distal end portions of the holder-side intimate-contact ribs respectively into the associated intimate-contact cavity portions, so that the mat seal is supported by the end surface of the connector housing and the mat seal holder;
passing the plurality of metal terminals and wires through the respective wire insertion holes; and
completely inserting the housing-side intimate-contact ribs and the holder-side intimate-contact into the plurality of intimate-contact cavity portions, respectively, so as to hole the mat seal between the end surface of the connector housing and the mat seal holder.
According to the invention, the mat seal can be provisionally retained by the distal end portions of the housing-side intimate-contact ribs and the distal end portions of the holder-side intimate-contact ribs, without causing the torsion and deformation of the mat seal, and therefore the metal terminals and the wires can be smoothly passed through the respective wire insertion holes, and the metal terminals can be positively inserted respectively into the terminal receiving chambers in the connector housing. As a result, when inserting the terminals into the mat seal, the terminals will not be caught by the mat seal, thereby preventing the terminals from being damaged.